Maria Gardner

Currently Critiquing

I’m working on my first novel, which is a YA fantasy (or something along those lines) about a young bullied girl getting caught up in a secret war fought by strange, alien-looking creatures.

I’m not good at writing synopses, but here’s one with more detail:

Millie Carter is a 15-year-old girl who is shy and often bullied in school. She meets a new but freakish boy named Nero, who becomes her only friend. He tells her a story about strange, scary creatures, and she later witnesses these creatures for herself as they brutally murder each other and take the lives of civilians nearby. After Millie becomes paranoid, the creatures break into her home and kill her family. She ends up joining the group of creatures that are fighting the very ones who murdered her family. While trying to fit in, she learns what it means to have a real family, and how to fight for something you love and hold dear. And she’s also learning what Nero’s really up to…

Nope, I am a newbie

Yes, I’m serious about getting published

Encouragement & support as as I am new to critiquing

Casual exchange, no deadlines

Weekly

I’m unpublished at the moment, and I’m a very slow writer. I try to write every day, but that doesn’t always happen.

Everything I read and watch on TV influences me somewhat. Some of my favorite authors include Douglas Adams, Jane Austen, Suzanne Collins, Stieg Larsson, H.P. Lovecraft, George Orwell, Christopher Paolini, and Nova Ren Suma

Anything with good, believable characters and an interesting, compelling plot. My favorite genres are YA, fantasy, and sci-fi, but I also like romance, horror, thrillers, adventure, and a little comedy too.

I’ve been writing fiction for about two years now, and it has all been going towards my first novel. I’m still trying to learn the craft and, after countless rewrites, fresh starts, and my first NaNoWriMo, I think I’m finally beginning to understand how to properly structure a novel.

I also love photography, and enjoy taking pictures of the critters in my backyard. Most of my subjects are butterflies, but I’ll also photograph birds or interesting flowers I come across on my walks in the woods.

And I’m extremely shy and self conscious, so I’m hoping this wonderful site will help me open up more when it comes to me and my writing. I’m looking forward to meeting other writers with interests similar to mine, as writing can be very lonely.

https://twitter.com/#!/gardner_maria

I found this site through a Google search on how to find a critique partner. It was the first site to pop up!